Bird Banding

I have now had the privilege of handling wild animals. I went banding with the MAPS crew on Monday and again this morning. I managed to extract my first bird from the net today, a Spotted Towhee. He kept trying to bite me (can't blame him) and defecated on me too. But, I got him out! I couldn't believe it.

Here is a better look at a Spotted Towhee in another bander's hands:
This is often what it looks like when you walk up to a net. I feel terrible seeing them like that. This is a Black-Headed Grosbeak:

Black-Headed Grosbeak unwound and in the hand:
A juvenile Anna's Hummingbird. They release these from the net immediately, and do not band them. Very cool to see.

Yellow Warbler

The beautiful, punk-rock Ash-Throated Flycatcher. He had a lot of attitude.

Red-Breasted Sapsucker

Getting him out of the net:
It's amazing to come upon a net and see the birds entangled, and then to be able to set them free and handle them. It seems vaguely mean, but the birds are very hardy creatures and often fly off with a defiant "cheep!" and a trail of poo. They are so light and seem so much smaller in the hand than when you see them through binoculars.